Rise: My Journey through Grief to Growth

Welcome to my story of healing, growth, and gratitude during what has been, to date, the most painful event of my life, the loss of my dad, Pete Kreiling.

What began as a series of blog posts has evolved into a memoir of life with my dad. Although the blogs I wrote were in real-time, I’ve written this book with the benefits of hindsight and thoughtful reflection. I’m including the original blog posts (for the most part) and have added a continuing narrative to the best of my recollection now that I’ve had some time and distance from these actual events.

What I’ve learned is that in our most difficult challenges we have a unique opportunity to more completely grow into the person we are called to be. At some point in life we all face loss, pain, suffering, hurt, and difficulty. How we process that hurt is completely up to us. As difficult as it may be in the moment, the choice of gratitude can help us grow and learn from even the most difficult situations.

Gratitude is wanting what we have, not having what we want. We often don’t have a choice in the adversity we will face. We choose how we respond to it, use it, and are fueled by it.

My hope is that you will find companionship and a kindred spirit who may help you when facing loss or adversity. When things are at their darkest, it is exactly in those moments when we can use a light to shine on a path forward. I was fortunate to have so many lights lit for me when I was hurting. May this story help light a candle for you.